@music@lemmy.world @music@beehaw.org
I don’t know dick about music theory. I know that rock and roll is generally on a 4x4 beat structure, but I generally don’t know what that means.
I can tell this is…not 4x4. Can anyone identify the beat structure here? and maybe explain that stuff to me?
https://yewtu.be/watch?v=yZieIiYCGQ8&list=PLS5Zh7Lvs70zcv4gKV1nutmPQCHCvi0t-&index=6
I think it’s in 4/4, but the rhythm is syncopated in such a way as to really throw you off. It sets up a backbeat in the first measure, with the hit on beats 2 and 4. This continues in the second measure on beat 2, but then when beat 4 hits again, there’s nothing, and the hit is delayed to some difficult to identify subdivision of the beat that sounds really off. Then the backbeat picks right back up within the established pattern. You can clap out 4/4 and will find it sticks with it, but you have to ignore the syncopated rhythm to do so or you’re liable to mess up.
Btw, 4/4 just means each measure has 4 beats. In this case, you would count out 1, 2 (hit), 3, 4 (hit), 1, 2 (hit), 3, 4 (no hit/hesitation), and then start over
Thank you.
I’m not convinced it’s not 4/4.
there could be an occasional 3/4 measure in there.
I think you would enjoy learning about music theory. for a really practical experience, try learning some paradiddles
i’d probably call that 8/4. you can count to 8 before the pattern more or less repeats.
the top number is how many clicks of the metronome is in each measure (a little chunk to organize the music and keep everything even)
the bottom number has more to do with how a composer writes the music down, and is less something you can hear. there does tend to be “usual” time signatures, so without seeing the sheet music, you generally just assume the bottom number.
basically the most common in western music is 4/4 because a measure is 4 quarter notes long. thats basically why they call them quarter notes too.
jazz guys and prog rock might do some more complex stuff like 5/8 or 7/8. a good example of 7/8 in pop music is money by pink floyd. listen along and count to 7 and youll hear the line repeat.
Both her parents were professional jazz musicians.
yeah there’s definitely some jazz in the drum beat, but its still an 8 or 4 count.
4/4 means 4 beats per measure (top number) and each beat is a quarter more (bottom number). So you can have a melody that resolves in a single measure and repeats every measure. Or 2 measures. Or 4 measures. Resolution is when you come back to the root note of the key that the song is in. Waltzes are in 3/4 time. So you’ll count 3 beats per measure but it would typically take 4 measures to resolve a melody.
I can’t listen through the entire song right now, but when the beat starts it’s pretty much 4/4.